Chapter 7: Ivywood Girls’ Academy (7)

"Ah… Hanako… lost."

Hanako lowered her head in disappointment, her hands—still holding the pen—drooping lifelessly at her sides.

Rowan asked, "If I win the game, do I get a reward?"

Hanako looked up at him. "Big sis, shouldn't you comfort me first?"

Rowan, who had just been called "big sis": "…Oh, should I? Alright."

Without hesitation, he reached out and patted her head twice. "There, there."

Hanako's eyes widened slightly.

For some reason, standing next to this human felt… warm.

The cold, sticky sensation of her hair lingered on Rowan's fingertips as he propped his chin on his hand and looked at her. "Feeling better?"

Hanako hesitated for a moment, then nodded twice and turned around.

The stall was no longer shrouded in darkness. She crawled over to the toilet and began rummaging through it. After a long while, she finally pulled out a damp, dripping notebook.

"This is the only thing Hanako has… Here, it's yours."

Rowan stared at the notebook she had just fished out of the toilet. He was silent for about two seconds before finally reaching out to take it. "Thanks."

The moment his fingers touched the cover, a system notification chimed in his mind.

"Ding! Congratulations on obtaining Hanako's Diary. Hidden quest triggered—Fulfill Miss Hanako's final wish: Find her mother. Time limit: Three days."

"Failure penalty: Death."

If this had happened to someone else, they might have already been cursing their luck, wailing about their misfortune.

But when Rowan saw the quest notification, he simply chuckled. He reached out and lightly patted Hanako's face before turning to leave.

Just before stepping out, he waved. "Alright, I accept."

Hanako stood frozen, watching his retreating figure, still holding the notebook he had given her.

Anyone who stepped into Hanako's domain had to finish her game before leaving. Since Rowan had completed their game, it was only natural that he could walk away.

Even so, Hanako herself hadn't expected this—watching him leave, she suddenly found herself wanting to play another game with him.

Rowan didn't return to the dormitory. Instead, he went straight back to the classroom and started flipping through the diary.

[Hanako's Diary]

Item Description: A seemingly ordinary diary containing the truth of another world. The more you study it, the more secrets you might uncover.

[Note: Some people can't resist sneaking a peek at chat logs. Others can't help flipping through a diary. After all, curiosity is an irresistible temptation for humans.]

Rowan leaned back in his chair, feeling a bit tired, and closed his eyes, quietly thinking.

⸻

"Hanako's Monday: I got beaten up by my classmates again today. But Mommy says that hitting means affection, and scolding means love. That must mean everyone really likes me."

"Hanako's Tuesday: I got a zero on my test today. But Mommy says that after getting a zero, every little improvement will feel rewarding. Even going up by one point is great."

"Hanako's Wednesday: During free time in P.E. today, nobody wanted to play games with me. Am I not cute? But… I really wanted to play with them too."

"Hanako's Thursday: Mommy said I'll make more and more friends. I'm so happy."

"Hanako's Friday: Mommy is missing. I looked everywhere for her, but I still can't find her… Hanako must find Mommy."

"Hanako's Saturday: Hanako made new friends today. They're really interesting."

"Hanako's Sunday: Hanako is happy here."

Other than these seven entries, the diary was filled with drawings—childish, yet wildly imaginative.

Many of the creatures she had drawn were things that absolutely could not exist in the real world.

Rowan spent the entire night going through the pages, studying the pictures and text. When exhaustion finally crept up on him, he stored the diary in his inventory and rested his head on the desk, drifting off to sleep.

⸻

"Shit, that scared me to death! Did you guys hear? Someone died last night…"

"What?! Who died?! It's only the second day—how could someone already be dead? I thought everyone had to stay in their dorms at night! How did someone die?"

As players trickled into the classroom, they whispered among themselves in hushed, anxious voices. None of them noticed Rowan, who was still sleeping at his desk.

Yulia approached the panicked players, her expression calm.

The male and female dorms were on the same floor, but the boys' rooms were on the west side while the girls' rooms were on the east.

Since she was in the east wing, she had no idea what had happened on the west side last night.

"Can you tell us what happened?" she asked. "This is a survival instance. As long as we don't break the rules, we shouldn't die so easily."

Her voice had a reassuring effect, like a steady anchor in the chaos. The new players looked at her and finally started explaining what they had witnessed.

"Last night… I suddenly heard these horrible, painful groans from the room next door. It was terrifying—I didn't dare to check, so I just hid under my blanket and waited for morning. But when I went to check their room today… I saw three bodies hanging from the ceiling."

"You mean they hanged themselves?" Yulia frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Did they break some hidden rule?"

"I swear it's true! I even took pictures!"

The new player pulled out his phone from his pocket.

When players entered the game, their personal belongings remained intact.

Phones couldn't connect to the internet or send messages here, but they could still take pictures and use some basic functions.

Some players kept their phones to use as flashlights. Others played offline games to keep themselves distracted from the constant fear.

And in this place, phone batteries never drained. They could be used indefinitely.

Yulia's eyes flashed with surprise. She hadn't expected a newbie to be bold enough to take pictures.

Eager to prove he wasn't lying, the player showed the photo to those around him.

The image was haunting. Even though it was taken during the day, the eerie atmosphere made it deeply unsettling.

"How come I didn't hear anything last night? You're saying only you heard it…? And they were perfectly fine after room checks—so how did they suddenly die? Unless… th-there's a ghost?!"

The boy with the phone, frustrated by the skepticism, shoved his screen closer. "The evidence is right here! Why won't you believe me?!"

Another player from his dorm finally spoke up. "Actually… we heard it too."

They had stayed silent until now for a reason.

In a survival instance like this, those who stood out were the most likely to be targeted.

If there really was something lurking in the dorms, the first person to acknowledge its existence might also be the first one it latched onto.

"I don't think they killed themselves."

A deep, steady voice suddenly cut through the tense whispers.

Unnoticed by the others, a tall figure had been standing behind them.

When they turned around, they found themselves staring directly into a pair of dark red eyes.